Born in Sydney, Ian Leslie Shanahan studied composition and pure mathematics at the University of Sydney, where his composition teachers were Eric Gross, Peter Sculthorpe and Ian Fredericks (computer music). Shanahan is well-regarded as an expert in contemporary techniques for the recorder and his work in this area has done much to expand the possibilities for composers writing for this instrument. He is extremely active as a recorder player and has commissioned many composers, both from Australia and overseas, to write pieces for him to perform.